Andrew J. Austin

Atlas Typewriter

Atlas Typewriter, the lovely complement to Atlas Grotesk, was crafted by Susana Carvalho and Kai Bernau. Typewriter is described by its creators as possessing a “fundamental ‘monospacedness’”. I think it is this principle that helps make the face stand out, even amidst a year of many other fine monospace releases.

Image from Typographica

The ascenders and x-height are confidently high, contrasted by noticeably shorter, squattier descenders. The result is quite legible and gives a base practicality upon which to build the rest of its personality. Rather than relying on traditional typewriter quirks or the precepts of other digital monospace fonts for the face’s character, Atlas Typewriter really embodies the influence of its grotesque companion. Specifically, the C, G, Q, a, and 2 glyphs lend themselves toward the eccentricities of the grotesque genre.

The face, released through Commercial Type, comes in six weights. Each weight comes with italics and, uncommon among monospace fonts, small-caps.

Atlas Typewriter is my new choice font for text editors due to its easy readability and demeanor. It stands as a beautiful addition to the somewhat young, but quite impressive catalog of faces from Atelier Carvalho Bernau.